Student: (1918-22) A. Hays Town

[Turbine]

His name is 'Town' but when thought of, the word 'home' comes to mind.

A. Hays Town is a world renowned architect who carved out a niche for himself designing distinctive Louisiana homes. His home designs have been copied more than any southern designer before or since.

A. Hays Town graduated and received an engineering degree from the University of Louisiana (then SLI) in 1922. His love of home designs seems to have started at a very young age sketching home designs for his parents as early as 1913. After UL he attended the Tulane University School of Architecture,

Sketching was a favorite pastime of his and it was through this love that he started a yearbook trend that continued for decades when he sketched several sports related drawings for use in the 1922 Louisiana Acadien Yearbook.

Below are the renderings.

 

[Turbine]

The still beautiful museum on the right was designed by A. Hays Town.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town
Published August, 1999

Average book review rating

Beautiful photographs of timeless architecture
"The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town" combines text by Cyril E. Vetter with photographs by Philip Gould. Together, they celebrate the classic houses designed by Town. The book is full of superb photos of both interiors and exteriors. The book ends with a short essay by Andres Duany, in which he declares, "The long, long career of A. Hays Town is like a bridge that brings forth the traditional architecture of Louisiana to the present generation of builders."

Many picturesque elements recur throughout the book: classical statuary, brick floors, exteriors with a look of natural weathering, 2-level exterior galleries, etc. Some particularly memorable images include the following: Hamilton House's interior courtyard overlooked by a second floor balcony; Westerman House's charming lily pond, made from an old sugar kettle; the rustic wood posts on the porch of the Bonnecaze House; the elegant white pillars of the Godchaux House; and more.

My only disappointment is that floor plans for the homes are not included; they would have, in my opinion, given readers a better sense of these houses. Still, if you love great American architecture, I recommend this book.

Long-awaited addition to books about Southern architecture
"The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town," published by Louisiana State University Press, documents 25 of the hundreds of houses designed by Town in a career that spanned the major part of the century ...Up until now Town's residential work has not been assembled into one accessible publication, making "The Louisiana Houses" a long-awaited addition to books about Southern architecture...Gould's photographs, polished, honest and generous, give the book its rare and artistic importance...Malcolm Heard, an architecture professor at Tulane, says Town figured out how to combine the familiarity of the past and the flexibility of the present, striking out on his own path at a time when most architects were following more modernist pursuits.


A fantastic, must-have book. Don't leave it on the shelf.
A fantastic new book is out that is a must-have for lovers of Louisiana interiors and exteriors alike. The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town (LSU Press), by Cyril E. Vetter, with photographs by Philip Gould, features 25 Louisiana homes designed by the celebrated architect. The vivid color photographs of the homes includes Town's own. In a career that includes designing more than 500 homes, Town has led architects, builders and homeowners to embrace the finest elements of Louisiana's rich architectural past. This book illuminates the momentous effect he has had on the look of Louisiana. Don't leave it on the shelf.

The source of the reviews

[NewsCopy]

The Alumni Center on St. Mary Boulevard has come to symbolize the University of Louisiana Alumni Association.

With its sturdy walls, welcoming gardens and comfortable interior, the Alumni Center represents the association’s mission — to provide a link between Louisiana graduates and their alma mater.

The recent death of renowned architect A. Hays Town, who designed the building, prompted Association Executive Director Dan Hare to reflect on the structure’s symbolic value. Hays drew up the plans in 1936 as a home for the late businessman Maurice Heymann. The Association relocated its offices
there in the 1990s.

“The Alumni Association is not a family in the traditional sense,” Hare said. “But this elegant home has become the center of gatherings for our Ragin’ Cajun family. The house has become so symbolic that many of our recent promotions feature the home’s design and surroundings.

“And, of course, proceeds from our annual Spring Gala are dedicated to its upkeep.” The association relies on fundraisers and private donations to make renovations, additions and repairs.

“There are room naming opportunities, for example,” Hare said. “Also, we are looking into the possibility of obtaining grants for some extensive work on the center’s grounds.”

He noted that the Association still has a mortgage on the John Breaux Wing of the center, which houses Association staff.

It was a twist of fate that led to the center’s construction almost 80 years ago. “We were renting a home on Lafayette Street near what is now the Lafayette Museum, and my dad offered to buy the house, but the owner refused,” Maurice Heymann’s son, Herbert, remembered in an early 1990s newspaper interview. “If he had sold it, the house would have never been built.”

Undeterred, Maurice Heymann bought a piece of property near the SLI campus and hired Town to design a house in the French Provincial style.

It was 1936. Town was 33 years old and, until then, had only designed commercial structures. But home design had fascinated him since he was a boy growing up in Crowley and Lafayette and as an SLI student in the 1920s. . . .

The rest of the story
La Louisiane: Spring 2005

[Cajun1997]

The Atchafalaya Welcome Center at Butte La Rose was not designed by Town, but was patterned after his work, architects were Ike CapDevielle and Steve Losavio.

[NewsCopy]

  Alexander Caldwell hadn't seen the emu egg sculpture since he created it 22 years ago for architect A. Hayes Town. Not until Thursday, during a trunk showing of his jeweled eggs.

The example of his early work has been tucked away in a vault for more than two decades at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum. It was brought out on loan to its creator just for the occasion.

The trunk show featured hundreds of Vivian Alexander egg ornaments and purses, as well as the company's new line of fine silver purses.

Among the items on display were the egg ornament used in the national Smirnoff Vodka commercial and one that appeared in the movie, Ocean's 12. And of course, there was the A. Hayes Town egg.

The rest of the story

Judy Bastien • jbastien@theadvertiser.com • October 25, 2008

[CajunFun]

His name is 'Town' but when thought of, the word 'home' comes to mind.

A. Hays Town is a world renowned architect who carved out a niche for himself designing distinctive Louisiana homes. His home designs have been copied more than any southern designer before or since.

A. Hays Town graduated and received an engineering degree from the University of Louisiana (then SLI) in 1922. His love of home designs seems to have started at a very young age sketching home designs for his parents as early as 1913. After UL he attended the Tulane University School of Architecture,

Sketching was a favorite pastime of his and it was through this love that he started a yearbook trend that continued for decades when he sketched several sports related drawings for use in the 1922 Louisiana Acadien Yearbook.

Even though Mr. Town had to finish his architecture degree at Tulane (we didn't have a complete program at that time), he loved SLI.

Some years ago, LSU started having big fund-raisers here in Lafayette, ostensibly to rub our noses in it a bit.

Well, that was about the time that our people were raising money in Mr. Town's name. Turns out, some of the most prominent homes in BR were designed by him. So our people went to BR-- to spit in the tiger's mouth, you might say-- and hosted a reception to raise money for the UL Foundation to honor Mr. Town.

The group of A. Hayes Town homeowners listened politely, and when we finished one woman spoke up, and said something like, "Thank you for coming and speaking with us. We all love and admire Mr. Town, and would be delighted to contribute money in his name. But of course, we are LSU supporters, so we will make the contributions to the LSU Foundation."

At which point one of the other women said, "Um... Betty? That's what I said to Mr. Town.

"He said if it had his name on it, it would go to UL."

Don't know if that had anything to do with it, but soon after, LSU stopped promoting big fundraisers here.